AIM: To investigate the effective approach for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis(OA) in the elderly patients so as to provide the intervenient measures for the improvement of the quality of life(QOL) of the elderly patients with knee OA. METHODS: From January 2001 to December 2004, 120 elderly patients with knee OA were selected from the outpatients in the Outpatient Department of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College. The 120 patients were randomly divided into acupuncture (n = 40), functional exercise (n = 40) and acupuncture plus functional exercise (n = 40) geoups, and acupuncture, functional exercise, acupuncture plus functional exercise were performed in the three groups respectively, once per day for 2 months. Post-treatment follow-up was performed at 3 and 6 months to compare the effect of intervention and reoccurrence rate. RESULTS: The markedly effective rate in the acupuncture plus functional exercise group(95.0%) were significantly higher than that in the acupuncture group (70.0%) and functional exercise group (60.0%) (Chi2 = 8.66, p < 0.01), but there was no significant difference between acupuncture group and functional exercise group (p > 0.05). The reoccurrence rate at 3 and 6 months after treatment in the acupuncture plus functional exercise group (grade III: 0, 2.5%) was significantly lower than that in the acupuncture group (grade III: 12.5%, 20.0%) (Chi2 = 3.89, 6.25, p < 0.01) and functional exercise group (grade III: 7.5%, 25.0%) (Chi2 = 6.13, p < 0.05). The reoccurrence rate was reduced in the acupuncture group, but not significant as compared with that in the functional exercise group (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture and functional exercise have synergistic effect in the intervention for the elderly patients with knee OA, especially outstanding in the control of the reoccurrence rate.

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